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John Lennon

“When it gets down to having to use violence, then you are playing the system’s game. The establishment will irritate you – pull your beard, flick your face – to make you fight. Because once they’ve got you violent, then they know how to handle you. The only thing they don’t know how to handle is non-violence and humor.” – John Lennon

Trump proved that this morning when he angrily tweeted, all butt-hurt because Saturday Night Live made fun of him:

I know, I know … it’s embarrassing how the leader of our country doesn’t understand basic concepts that a 5th grader learns in social studies. The idea that the press needs to be free to criticize our leaders is so damned important that the founders made sure that was the first thing mentioned in the Bill of Rights, but this wannabe dictator wants to silence anyone who disagrees with him.

And despite what he says, Saturday Night Live isn’t “news” although it is protected by our Constitution just the same. (You know — the Constitution. That thing Trump swore an oath to defend. That Constitution.)

Meanwhile, Fox “News” continually airs completely false things (as any watchdog agency has documented many many times) but Trump has no problem with that because it’s his own personal propaganda tool.

So to answer our idiot-in-chief: It is absolutely legal. Maybe if you had the slightest bit of knowledge and experience for the job you currently hold, you would know that, you incompetent corrupt baboon.

On December 8, 1980, my fellow disc jockeys and I were gathered up in the WVCW studio. Exams started soon, so we college kids were having our radio station Christmas party early. I was the Program Director and proud of our station — we were the only station in Richmond playing that “new wave” music (Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Ramones, Clash) but even then, you would still find plenty of Beatles in rotation. “You can’t go wrong with the Beatles” was a phrase I’d say to my DJs.

Suddenly, one of the DJs came rushing in. “Lennon’s been killed!” There was a shocked pause. I ran into the control room and turned to the news feed. It was true. We switched over to the news feed so our listeners would know.

I was in a daze that night. The party had crashed. Why would someone want John Lennon dead?

As Heidi and I silently walked back to our apartment, we saw our friend Craig Evans heading the other way, hands in his pockets, looking dejected. Craig is a musician who now leads the band The Taters. He and I had jammed together a bunch of times and I knew how much of a Beatles fan he was.

“Craig!” Heidi yelled. “Lennon’s dead!”

All my frustration exploded at that point and I screamed at Heidi. “That’s not how you break bad news!” I was irate, and wrongly took my anger at Lennon’s death out on my girlfriend (now my wife).

I slept on the couch that night and dreamed that my father had died.

The next day, I prepared a list of Beatles songs that John had written so the DJs wouldn’t say “Here’s another song to tribute John Lennon” and then stick on “Yesterday.” I also told them which songs not to play because they referenced death (“Yer Blues”; “She Said She Said”; “Happiness is a Warm Gun”; etc.) I had no classes that day so some of the DJs let me take over their shows. I played Lennon and Beatles all day.

Lennon’s death affected me like no other celebrity death (until Jim Henson’s), not just because I am such a fan of his but also because of its suddenness and senselessness. When George Harrison died many years later, it did not affect me the same, because it was expected; he had been fighting cancer for years.

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